Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 (No. 42)
Editor & Publisher 
Milt Capps
For previous issues or date of next issue, visit the news archive.



 

 

 

Marty Paslick
Vice President
HCA IT&S, Inc.
In the Spotlight

 






Upfront

Spotlight

Venture Innovation Enterprise

Partnership & Recognition

Healthcare

Government

East/West Tenn.& Region

Research & Education

Resources

Scheduled Events

Annual NTC Member Survey — NTC needs Members' opinions on ten questions. Please take the online survey right here. Thanks!

Asurion to hire 300 tech and logistics staff in coming months, as area employment surges and Partnership 2010 effort continues, Tennessean, Sept. 19. See Partnership 2010 news in Resources.

Franklin's Passalong Networks' point system for music-customer referrals may one-up Apple iTunes or Sony Connect, Tennessean, 6E, Sept. 23. Release Sept. 23. Passalong launch, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 24.
 
In Nashville Oct. 4-5, the Mid-Market Healthcare Mergers & Acquisitions conference (Strategic Research Institute), Oct. 4-6, includes panels moderated by Tom Wylly and Kevin Murphy of Brentwood Capital Advisors. Details and registration, here.
 
(Oct. 7) NTC Tech Roundtable, with Ray Capp, President/CEO, ConduIT Corporation; Rich Smith, President, eDoc4U; Jeff McCormack, Exec. Vice President, Chief Knowledge Officer, DigiScript Inc. Focus on synergies in strategic partnerships. Details here and in Scheduled Events below.

Nashville Technology Council and sister tech councils to receive grants from TN Economic and Community Development, Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 27; NashvillePost.com, Sept. 28.

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Paslick leads HCA product-development unit and chairs NTC Board

Effective July 1, Marty Paslick, vice president for product development for HCA's Information Technology & Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of HCA Inc., succeeded Stuart Campbell of Stites & Harbison as chairman of the board of directors of Nashville Technology Council (NTC).

From that point, Paslick has been ubiquitous, attending NTC programs, encouraging corporate sponsorships of NTC and communicating frequently with fellow board members, NTC members and others. He was also instrumental in the recent launch of NTC's IT Leadership Board, the individual members of which are responsible for many of Nashville's largest IT budgets. As NTC chairman, Paslick also serves ex oficio as a member of the board of governors of the Nashvhille Area Chamber of Commerce.

His goal as NTC chairman: "To be able to report at the end of my term that NTC is even more effectively connecting people who have similar interests and similar passions within the tech sector -- creating hubs of interest for each type of member -- and, that the Council has strengthened its role in increasing technology employment, investment and innovation, right here in our own backyard." In addition to the Leadership Council, Paslick cites NTC's new Software Developers Roundtable and Network Managers Roundtable, as well as NTC-affiliated Nashville Capital Network, as indications of progress within the past year.

Meanwhile, Paslick's "day job" at HCA IT&S is also pretty demanding. A few notes:

Paslick says it may surprise many observers that when it comes to software and IT solutions, HCA prefers to buy, rather than build.

Nonetheless, he explains that even when HCA buys software, HCA IT&S must often devote considerable resources to adapting that technology to the HCA enterprise, which comprises approximately 200 healthcare facilities. For example, HCA's recent Lawson HR/Payroll ERP suite deployment required 20,000 hours of inhouse development time to adapt and integrate the technology, prior to beta implementation.

Paslick's product-development unit has more than 250 full-time technology employees, plus 75 contracted IT staff, working at HCA headquarters in Nashville and at a facility near Cool Springs/Brentwood. His department focuses on business and clinical analysis, project management, application development and database administration. Supported domains include Clinical Systems, ERP, Supply Chain, Revenue Systems, Data Warehousing and Enterprise Reporting. (The entire HCA IT&S technology unit has nearly 1,100 technology staff, under the leadership of HCA IT&S President Noel Williams, who is also SVP/CIO for the parent company. See related NONT article [Link], March 2004).

HCA IT&S Product Development employs a mix of employee and contracted resources in the interest of producing innovative, effective products for a healthcare sector that is in many respects still playing catch-up with respect to technology. When making the build or buy decision, Paslick says his unit is heavily involved with IT&S efforts to identify optimal solutions among existing products. When need for additional contracted resources is anticipated for project ramp-up or other brief bursts of activity, those staffing requirements are communicated to contractors currently on IT&S' preferred contractor list. Other firms that wish to offer resources must offer those resources to the preferred contractors. This "brokerage" system is employed to obviate excessive proliferation of vendors, Paslick explains.

Paslick notes that the economics of healthcare delivery and the fast-track evolution of hospital and clinical technologies, in particular, mean that, with little distinction, HCA IT&S employees and contractor personnel work under the same budget, deadline and productivity pressure, often side-by-side.

In searching for additional tech talent, Paslick places a premium on "those folks who have the ability to communicate with others," and particularly those with strong project management, business-process analysis and related backgrounds, as well, perhaps, as deep expertise in such hot areas as security.

Paslick, 44, earned an undergraduate degree in management and a second degree in applied mathematics, with emphasis on software engineering -- as well as an M.B.A., all at the University of Louisville. He has worked more than 20 years in the healthcare industry, including a stint consulting to physicians' practices on office automation via the Kentucky Medical Association, then nine years with Humana and its spin-off company, Galen Healthcare, followed by a decade with Humana's acquirer, HCA. (##)

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Nashville Capital Network helps along another deal: Release here. Horizon Resource Group and River Cities, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 28. NashvillePost.com, Sept. 28. Tennesseean, Sept. 29.
 
Nashville-based SnappyAuctions announces Atlanta presence, release Sept. 28.

TN Valley Venture Forum expands regional reach, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 23, here; and ETN firms listed here. Report on East TN companies at TN Vencap forum, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 27. Signix and other Chattanooga area firms pitch Forum, Times Free Press, Sept. 24, page C1.

(further) iPayment acquisition of Transaction Solutions, release Sept. 15. Related, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 15. NashvillePost.com, Sept. 15. The City Paper, Sept. 16. Tennessean, Sept. 16, not on web.

(further) More on recent Southern Appalachian Fund investments, Sept. 16, Times Free Press.

Ingram Micro to buy Australian Tech Pacific, Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 27. Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 28.

CSD digital-ad venture could change direct mail industry, City Paper, Sept. 20.
 
Mid-Market Healthcare M&A conference in Nashville, Oct. 4-5, see Scheduled Events, below.
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Lebanon-based Call Center School enters agreement with Dictaphone, release Sept. 28.

Louisiana Pacfic names Brian Luoma Vice President, Procurement, Logistics and Supply Management, release Sept. 24.

Alive Hospice named Marvin Suggs director-IT, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Iasis Healthcare announced Brian Loflin to CIO; Eddie Gadsey, to director-tech operations; Keith Bagby to senior director-FIS. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Healthcare Management Systems named Tim Kinzer, director of client technical support; Tammy Bickimer, sr. product mgr. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Terbrusch names sales director for Asentinel telecom-expense management software firm, Commercial Appeal, Sept. 19.

Cleartrack Information Network's Mary Clements has been promoted to electronic collaboration project manager, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 17, p. 21, not on web. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Memphis' Aerospace Products International Inc. sub of First Aviation Services, named David Currence CIO, release Sept. 20.

Inflow packages business-continuance services, Sept. 16 release.

Sitemason cites Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee adoption as one example of increased interest within nonprofit sector, release Sept. 16. Sitemason/MonsterLabs also touts VU Children's Hospital work, release here.

Lightning Source on-demand publisher in La Vergne appoints vp with responsibilities for tech development, as well as sales, Tennessean, Sept. 23.

Mailship Technology of Nashville named Elite Dealer by OfficeDEALER Magazine, Tennessean, Sept. 19.

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Healthstream managed care selects Verilet authorization technology, release Sept. 29.
 
WebMD promotes Holcombe to corporate president, retains role as CEO of local unit, NashvillePost.com, Sept. 23. Release, Sept. 23.

Joiner leaves HMD The Smart Hospital Company after Brentwood defeat, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 17.

TN Blue Cross Blue Cross and Cigna urge technology adoption for health-insurance claims, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 24.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN's network systems engineer endorses NetIQ software, release Sept. 20. Product is a "self-learning monitoring, alerting and reporting software for improving IT service levels."

At Vanderbilt School of Engineering, new Biomaterials Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering Laboratory will advance the work of scientist who creating scaffolding for regrowing body tissue, VU release, Sept. 13.

Top software applications for healthcare clients, HiMSS leadership survey 2003, scroll down here.

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Link to key in-state government bid-tracking resources, here. Also, see Sept. 15, 2004, news summary for ongoing RFPs.
 
NEW: RFP 316.20-105 Sect. 8 Contract Administration Software System, due Nov. 29.
 
Questions about Metro Schools' food-service technology RFP process delay "swipe-card" implementation; attorney notes possibility of RFP irregularities, Tennessean, 5B, Sept. 23.

TN Streamlined Tax project leader Sherry Harrell was named senior policy analyst by TN Revenue Commissioner Loren Chumley, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Athens, Tenn., dispatch communications system from JPS may be most advanced in Tennessee, Times Free Press, Sept. 20.

City of Chattanooga says computer programmers among those not eligible for overtime, Times Free Press, Sept. 28.

Economic development: Online access to government records made it easier for firm to leave downtown Knoxville for suburbs, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 25.

Tennessee Web services rank first in nation by Brown Univ. study, Sept. 21. Release, Sept. 21.

Federal technology contractors forms standards group to ensure interoperability, Washington Post, Sept. 28.

Senate Bill proposes anti-terror database, Washington Post, Sept. 28.

State vital records document ordering system would be supported via RFP 343.20-002, proposals due Oct. 13.
 
State RFP 331.01-002 for teacher recruitment includes subordinate requirements for database and web applications, proposals due Oct. 11.
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TN Valley Corridor named as board members Tom Rogers, Technology 2020, Oak Ridge; John O'Neill, National Security Directorate, ORNL; Dave Whitfield, director SimCenter, UT-Chattanooga; and, Fred Tompkins, interim UT vp-research and president, UT Research Foundation. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

American Merchant Data Services transaction volume up in Memphis, Memphis Bus. Journ., Sept. 16.

IPIX WATCH: IPIX CEO steps down, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 18. IPIX pact with RealVIZ (France) yields new imaging software, release Sept. 28 here. Peace River yields new camera mount for fish-eye application, release Sept. 28. IPIX Security announced integration of Full-360 vid surveillance system with Integral Technologies' DigitalSENTRY(R) software, Sept. 23.

Dell Inc. packaging supplier Austin Foam Plastics in LaVergne, Nash. Bus. Journal, p. 3, Sept. 24.

CNA opens Hurricane Jeanne disaster response center in Nashville offices, release, Sept. 27.

Four Memphis companies' IT departments (Harrah's, First Horizon, FedEx, Hilton) earn InformationWeek ranking, Commercial Appeal, Sept. 25. East TN firms (incl. Eastman, TVA) in same rankings, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 27. Related to rankings, Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 21. Also noted: First Horizon named one of best employers for women, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 22.

Memphis Gas & Light CIO and other execs' compensation detailed, Commercial Appeal, Sept. 26.

TN Farmers Insurance Companies' affiliates continue CSC insurance-software relationship, release Sept. 23.

Knoxville's Pilot Travel Centers opts for TransTech scanning, Sept. 23 release.

In Chattanooga, VisiKey keyboard addresses computer-induced vision problems, Sept. 17.

Limelight media announces digital-signage contracts via VuPlex, Sept. 23.

Averitt Express, Cookeville, opts for SAS Global supply chain and warehouse software, release Sept. 27.

Regal CineMedia (Regal Entertainment Group) announces extension of digital content network to Georgia presenters, release Sept. 27.

E. TN churches going high tech, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 20.

Knox County at forefront of Internet Age, editorial, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 20.

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UT's Dongarra comments on IBM supercomputer record, NY Times, Sept. 29.
 
Metro Schools rolling-out Chancery information system, Tennessean, 1B, Sept. 18. Schools need parents and corporate tech execs to help with Metro Schools' technology projects, Tennessean, Sept. 18.

Williamson County schools considering school-to-parent messaging system from Notification Technologies, Tennessean, Wmson. AM, Sept. 24.

Rutherford school using Classroom Performance System, Sept. 19, Tennessean, Rutherford AM.

Dell Inc. provides students in Nashville and Lebanon computers and internet access, release Sept. 27. Related, City Paper, p. 11, Sept. 29.

U of Memphis seeks UT help in commercialization of technology, Commercial Appeal, Sept. 27.

E. TN State University Prof. of Management & Technology Andy Czuchry was reappointed to the 2004 panel of judges of the TN Center for Performance Excellence. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Oak Ridge NL Nanoscience facility will have huge impact, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 28.

Oak Ridge NL's Delmau among America's top young innovators, attends MIT Emerging Tech conference, The Oak Ridger, Sept. 21.

National Science Foundation awarded Univ. of Memphis' Industry/University Center for Biosurfaces $1.25 million. Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 15.

Asli Ozdas, Ph.D., was named assistant professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in departments of biomedical informatics and surgery, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.

Resources: Belmont University Technology Learning Cooperative, updated offerings here.

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2005 Nashville Technology Directory: Preparations are underway for publishing the 2005 Nashville Technology Directory. For more information on rates, space options, etc., please write info1@technologycouncil.com

Partnership 2010 celebrates industry recruitment, outgoing Louisiana-Pacific CEO recounts economic impact of LP's move, Tennessean, Sept. 25. Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 24. NashvillePost.com, Sept. 24.

BusinessTN magazine invites nominees for fastest-growing, privately held TN firms, deadline Sept. 30, details here.

 
VoIP: Bank of America begins rollout of Cisco VoIP to 180,000 desktops, release Sept. 28. SmartMoney.com, Sept. 28. VOIP trends registers, Chicago Tribune via Tennessean, Sept. 17.

Satellite radio update, Tennessean, Sept. 26. Fact sheet on satellite radio, Tennessean, Sept. 26. Music industry execs comment, Tennessean, Sept. 26.

Emusic to sell indy songs, NY Times and Tennessean, Sept. 20.

National Cyberforensics and Training Alliance, USA Today, Sept. 20.

Quotable: "By 2010, no business will remain competitive in its industry without outsourcing a significant portion of its IT activities and the business operations those systems support." Optimize.com, 9/04, discusses choosing outsourcing strategy commensurate with your enterprise value proposition.

Large outsourcing pacts, like that at J.P. Morgan, on the decline, Dow Jones via KNS, Sept. 20. Outsourcing not having big impact on total job market, Dow Jones via commercial Appeal, Sept. 19.

How U.S. declining production and spending habits could be undermining our economy, long-term, NY Times, Sept. 18.

Is patent system spawning more lititgation than innovation? NY Times, Sept. 27.

Washington-area IT companies sew-up most spots major US Commerce IT pecking order, Wash. Post, Sept. 20.

The big push on RFID, NY Times, Sept. 27.

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For frequent updates, check the NTC home page and the NTC "Tech Links" page, found here. Check business calendars of The Tennessean; The City Paper ; and Nashville Business Journal. And, visit Tennessee's technology councils' sites:
CALENDAR ( * indicates new or revised item)
 
(Sept. 29) Healthcare IT: Local chapters of HiMSS and HIMA, in conjunction with Tennessee Hospital Association, convene program with emphasis on emerging technologies. Keynote speaker for the HiMSS/THIMA one-day event will be Pam Arlotto, managing director, Maestro. She's responsible for Maestro strategy and is a former HiMSS national chair. The day will also feature CIOs from Lifepoint Health, Baptist/St. Thomas (Ascension), Maury Regional Hosp., and Community Health Systems. Also, execs from American HIMA, HCA ITS, UT Med Center, RHIA, Sumner Regional MC. Details here.
 
* (Sept. 30) "Challenges facing Internet retailers, strategies at Land's End, Sears," host The Sloan Center for Internet Retailing at Owen Graduate School of Management, Speaker: Bill Bass, vice president and general manager of Sears Customer Direct and senior vice president for E-Commerce, Land’s End. 1 p.m.-2p.m., Room 222, Owen GSM. Free and open to public, no registration required.
 
(Ends Sept. 30) 2004 Governor's Economic-Development Conference, Nashville Convention Center. Agenda here.
 
(Sept. 30) Tennessee Valley Conference on the Science and Business of Nanotechnology, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Speakers and panelists will address science/research overview, applications, and business and investment issues. Details forthcoming. This program is a cooperative effort of the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt School of Engineering, Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and Nashville Technology Council. Venue: Caterpillar Financial Center. Related Nanostory, City Paper, Sept. 3.
 
* (Oct. 4-5) Mid-Market Healthcare Mergers & Acquisitions conference (Strategic Research Institute) includes Nashville healthcare and finance execs. Details and registration, here.
 

* (Oct. 5) Owen GSM Entrepreneurship Center Annual Fall Venture Capital discussion, with panelists Kathy Harris, senior vice president, Noro-Moseley Partners, Atlanta; and, Jeff McCarthy, general partner, North Bridge Venture Partners, Boston. 5:30 p.m., Averbuch Auditorium, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, 401 21st Ave. S. No fee or advance registration, seating limited.

(Oct. 5-7) Memphis Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference, Memphis Biotech. Fdn, here and here.

* (Oct. 7) NTC Tech Roundtable, with speakers Ray Capp, President/CEO, ConduIT Corporation; Rich Smith, President, eDoc4U; Jeff McCormack, Exec. Vice President, Chief Knowledge Officer, DigiScript Inc. Focus on synergies in strategic partnerships. 4 p.m.-6 p.m., Wildhorse Saloon, 120 2nd Ave. N. Members $15 each, non-Members $25. Advance registration required online via technologycouncil.com or via (615) 743-3160.

* (Oct. 8) Business Leadership Speaker Series, speaker Jim Beard, president of Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, recipient of 2003 Malcomb Baldrige National Quality Award. Allen Arena, Lipscomb University, 3901 Granny White Pike, 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. No charge, but reservations required. R.S.V.P. by Oct. 4 via (615) 386-7653 or blc@lipscomb.edu .

* (Oct. 14) Nashville Technology Council Network Managers Roundtable. Speaker Tom Hickerson, Executive Director - Network Operations and Infrastructure, Office of Information Resources, Department of Finance & Administration, State of Tennessee. 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. See NMRT site. For details write kcooksey@technologycouncil.com .
 
(Oct. 14-16) AITP Region 7 STUCON student IT professionals event, details here.
http://www.aitpnashville.org/stucon16.htm
 
(Oct. 19) Nashville Technology Council Software Developers Roundtable meeting. See SDRT site. For details, write kcooksey@technologycouncil.com .

(Oct. 22) NE TN Tech Council TechStar Awards Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., MeadowView Conf. Ctr. Program with Anne Pope, Alex Fischer, Eric Cromwell, others. Info: vcrymble@netntech.org or calling 423.279.9000

(Oct. 28) Nashville Technology Council, Tech After Hours, details.
 
* (Nov. 4) NTC Tech Roundtable, speaker to be announced.
 
(Nov. 4) Bioimaging conference, Memphis. Details here.
 
(Nov. 4-5) TN Valley Corridor Fall Summit, Somerset, KY. Linking homeland security and homeland prosperity.Related story, Knox News Sentinel,  Sept. 13.
 
(Nov. 9) Justice Department holds technology-export security town hall meeting at BellSouth Tower. Register here. Related NashvillePost.com story, Sept. 1.
 
(Dec. 1-3) Tennessee Education Technology Conference, link here.
 
* (Dec. 2) NTC Tech Roundtable, details to be announced.
 
2005
 
* March 17– MTSU Emerging Technologies event. Details TBA. Contact: Dr. Charles Perry, Russell Chair of Manufacturing Excellence, Inst. Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
 
* Aug. 24 – NTC's InfoSec Nashville 2005 information-security conference will be Wednesday August 24, with CSI information-security training Aug. 22, 23, 25, 26. For further information, write info1@technologycouncil.com
 
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Nashville Technology Council
211 Commerce Street, Suite 100,  Nashville, TN 37201
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